Caleb Carmouche claimed the individual championship with a winning time of 15:31.22 at the Division I regional meet.

By Ron Brocato

Barring late-minute changes, Brother Martin will put its cross country state championship hopes on the swift legs of the following runners at the Allstate Sugar Bowl-sponsored championship meet on Monday, Nov. 16.

Taking their place on the starting line of Northwestern State University’s three-mile course for the Crusaders will be Caleb Carmouche, winner of the Nov. 6 Division I Region III meet, Daniel Bonilla, Jake Cammarata, Julien Campos, Nathan Oubre, Carson Mills and Jude Abadie.

The meet will start at 10:30 a.m. for teams and individuals who qualified at the respective three regional meets run on Nov. 6.

Brother Martin, the boys’ division and state runner-up for four consecutive years, will field a strong team, capable of ending Jesuit’s four-year reign on the team title, said the Crusader’s head coach Drew Haro.

“I think at 10:45 a.m. on Monday we’re going to like how we finished,” Haro said after selecting his lineup.

Led by senior Carmouche, who ran a 15:31.22 in crossing the City Park course finish line first at the Region 3 meet, the Crusaders have a formidable lineup that includes school record holder Daniel Bonilla, who did not compete in the regional meet. Bonilla set a school 3-mile record earlier this season with a time of 14:32.

Haro explained his preparation for the trip to Natchitoches:

“We have won regional meets fairly easily in past years. But this year we chose to rest some guys to see some others show us what they have one more time and try to earn a spot on the state starting line.

Although Jesuit won the regional meet, 26 points to 33, Haro liked what he saw of his runners’ efforts.

“We made some adjustments on how we attacked the course. The clock doesn’t always tell the story of the race, but we were able to use the clock to see if we were better than what we had been running. And the guys who ran (in the regional meet) were about 10-25 seconds faster,” Haro said. “They walked off the course feeling confident, and that’s what you hope to see eight or nine days before the state meet so you can execute the plan that you want to run and have it work out.

Following Carmouche across the regional finish line were Cammarata (15:54.15) in third place, Campos (16:19.28), eighth; Oubre (16:24.61), 10th, and Charles Ward (16:32.38), 12th place.

“I was proud of Caleb Carmouche, our top senior on the day,” the coach noted. “He’s very good, and he reminded himself of that by winning the race in the fashion he did. He stayed very comfortable with (Jesuit competitor) P.J. Fitzmorris running against him. To be able to run comfortably and then hammer it home at the end was big for him.” Fitzmorris placed second by more than eight seconds behind the Crusaders’ individual champion.

“I didn’t think about this, but I heard the guys talking, and I think this was Caleb’s first ever win. Only one person gets to do that, regardless of how many or who is in the race. Only one gets to cross the line first, and for him to hang his hat on that as a senior was exciting for him to be the regional champion.”

Haro explained his decision to rest Bonilla, by the time, the team’s fastest runner.

“I could have gone either way with him. I think he is durable and he’s tough, and he’s run well all season,” Haro pointed out. “But I think that we didn’t need to see him in the regional meet to make sure that he’s ready for the state meet.”

The coach said the decision was based on saving Bonilla’s legs from another hard run to keep him fresh for the championship event. “If we would have needed Daniel to run, we wouldn’t have thought twice about it.”

Haro said he has five runners returning to Natchitoches.

“Bonilla, Mills, Carmouche, Cammarata, and Campos are back from last year. Julien Campos, our second senior, had to earn his spot to run again in the state meet. And I could tell he was emotional because he really wanted it,” Haro continued. “He knew what was on the line, and he’s a loyal senior who has given us four good years.

“He’s been up and down a bit this season, so I know he’s excited.”

And so is the team about the prospect of finishing one spot ahead of the field to gain that elusive championship hardware.